01/18 Reading - Thoughts & Comments DX3

18-Jan Genesis 35-36, Mark 7-8, Psalms 86-90, Proverbs 18

Gen 35:1-13 (NIV) 1 Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau." 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone." 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.  6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. " So he named him Israel. 11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty ; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.

This scripture has huge implications for Jacob's life, and for ours if we will take a look into our own hearts.  God gives Jacob instruction which he follows.  Jacob preaches a message to his family and tells them to all cast away, forsake, and strip themselves of all false idols and gods.  They comply and Jacob buries these falsehoods.  They then return to the place where God first met with Jacob as he was fleeing from his brother Essau (back in his old life).  As he obeys, God meets with him and confirms to him that he is no longer Jacob (surplanter/deceiver), but his name shall be called Israel (prince of God, one in authority, overcomer).  He also arms Jacob with His vision for Jacob's life... and he lets Jacob know that his father's promises are now his.  He will be fruitful and increase, and kings will come from his offspring, and he will inherit the same land that was promised to his grandfather Abraham. WOW. The multi-generational blessing comes from God.  God makes up for Isaac's ignorance, and for Jacob's life long struggle of trying to figure out who he was.  Jacob is restored and put on track, although this took decades of struggle and heartache for Jacob.  Again, I personally believe that Isaac didn't do his job in molding, directing, arming, and empowering his sons to take hold of the multi generational blessing that was promised to Abraham and Isaac.

Jacob had earlier gotten his CORE VISION STATEMENT from the angel of God whom he wrestled with.  But just because he got the statement didn't mean that he had activated it.  Actually, after the angel changed his name from Jacob/surplanter/deceiver to Israel/prince of God/one in authority.  But later we see that his sons deceived a a clan of people that they ended up killing, his wife still had gold gods that she stole from her father, and other members of the family had gods and things that they should not have.  Jacobs deceit had worked into and through the entire family.  God had changed his name to Israel, but he would need to work that name OUTWARD into his daily walk, and into his family.  We must do the same.

If you have gone through the COMPASS GUIDE seminar and/or book, you have been taught how to pull a CORE PURPOSE STATEMENT out of your heart.  This is what God thinks of you, and who you really, honestly are from Heaven's perspective.  But this doesn't mean that you're going to walk it out and get it off of the page and into your feet.  Just like Jacob, you will need to take some drastic steps.

You need to pull yourself together and call out every false god, idol, and anything that you are worshipping other than God.  You must rid yourself of these things, and put them far away from you.  This might mean that you must cut off non profitable relationships.  You might need to give away the X Box, or stop hanging out in certain places.  You must cut off anything that's not giving glory to God, just like Jacob and his family did.  They put away their gods, and put on clean clothing, and cleansed themselves in preparation to meet God.

You will then need to obey God and go back to your 25 WORD CORE VISION STATEMENT.  Plan to activate it and attach your feet to it. Make it a part of your daily walk. RE-ACTIVATE IT.

When Jacob went back to Bethel, the place that he had originally met God, God met him and blessed him.  He magnified Jacob's purpose statement, called him Israel again, and told him that everything that had been given to Abraham and Isaac would be given to him as well.  God told him that he would multiply and that his sons would become kings.  God restored Jacob/Israel and activated the vision in him.  What a shame that Isaac didn't do this in the first place!!!

God will activate your 25 word statement as well.  He will RE-MIND you who Heaven says you are, and He will call you by name, showing you the promises that Heaven has in store for you as you follow the vision of God.

This scripture should have a powerful new meaning today:

Rev 3:11-13 (NIV) 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God;and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

   

Tomorrow's Reading:
19-Jan Genesis 37-38, Mark 9-10, Psalms 91-95, Proverbs 19